Over the past 2 decades, there has been a growing body of evidence to suggest that neural plastic changes take place following chiropractic spinal manipulation/adjustments. Here are 5 articles that conclude that changes in brain function occurred as a result of a chiropractic manipulation/adjustment.

The purpose of this study was to use fMRI to investigate the immediate changes in functional connectivity (FC) between brain regions after Chiropractic manipulation/adjustments, spinal mobilization (grade 3), and therapeutic touch (light pressure). With all of the manual therapies, there were changes in connections between the left posterior cingulate cortex and the left anterior insular cortex, the left posterior insular cortex and periaquedactal grey, and the left primary sensory cortex and right posterior insular cortex. The results suggest that neurophysiologic changes after manual therapy may be an underlying mechanism of pain relief.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chiropractic manipulation/adjustment to the neck was associated with changes in brain function. This study used visual blind spot maps to measure pre and post outcomes, and showed changes in these visual fields after a chiropractic manipulation/adjustment as a presumed consequence of changes in brain function.

Previous studies have shown that the visual blind spot changes after a chiropractic manipulation/adjustment as well as acupuncture. This study investigated the effect manipulating/adjusting an upper extremity joint has on the visual blind spot as a presumed result of changes in brain function. This study showed that after manipulation/adjustment of the upper extremity, there are changes in visual blind spots, presumably from changes in brain function.